


Skeletons In The Closet

by Sakurablossom009



Series: Cops and Robbers...and Assassins? [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Assassins & Hitmen, Explicit Language, F/M, Gen, Government Conspiracy, Modern Assassins, Past Drug Use, Politics, Romance, Sequel, Spies & Secret Agents, Suicide, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 13:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5336318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakurablossom009/pseuds/Sakurablossom009
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New city, new job, new boyfriend...Sakura Haruno's life was finally going great! Unless of course your mother is still constantly nagging you, your new boyfriend is keeping secrets from you AND there's a new super mysterious organization out to kill you...in that case, life was pretty much the same as always. What does it take for a girl to catch a break?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 000 - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted on FF.net and is a sequel to Hit the Floor Running. It might be necessary for you to read that one first, but even if you don't want to, I'm sure things will make sense! I've been reworking this and adding some new things and decided to post it here. Enjoy!

She was stumbling along the Via Guiseppe Zanardelli, ignoring the honking of cars as they raced past her, a litany of angry Italian words drifting by. She clutched at her chest, somehow trying to fill the void that had been opened there. Up ahead, she could see the Ponte Umberto I and beyond that, the murky waters of the Tiber.

Still she stumbled on.

When she reached the river, she threw herself at the railing, somehow no longer able to keep herself together. She cried the tears that she hadn’t allowed herself all those months ago and she cried the tears that were meant for her baby boy. She knew she had to keep him safe and at the moment, this was the only way that she knew she could. They had promised her that they would keep him safe, but it didn’t stop the void in her chest from aching desperately for him. She only wanted to stroke his soft downy hair once more; to see those eyes that were so like his fathers.

She didn’t know how long she spent there, slumped over the railing. Even when her eyes had dried, still she stayed. She didn’t hear the car door slam behind her, or the clack of heels against the cement. There was a soft touch to her shoulder, but she remained still.

She was pulled into a quick hug, but she just slumped there against the woman’s shoulder. _“You did what had to be done.”_ The woman told her in Italian.

 _“Ma fa male.”_ She muttered weakly into the woman’s shoulder. _But it hurts._

The woman pulled away and her eyes were sad as she brushed a long strand of red hair from her forehead. Then she pulled away and reached into her purse to pull out a small container. The woman unscrewed the lid, ignoring the look of wanting that entered her eyes. The woman offered her hand, two small green pills sitting in her palm.

Her throat began to water and her hands started to shake. No, she shouldn’t…she promised herself she would get clean. When all this was over…she could get her baby back if she was clean.

 _“It will make you feel better.”_ The woman said, as if she could sense her wavering. _“Just one last time.”_

 _One last time._ She needed to get through today. She didn’t know how she was possibly going to get through today. She needed to get clean…she _would_ get clean, after today. She just needed to feel whole again…

She reached out, her palms sweaty. The woman gave her a soft, encouraging smile. The pills felt so tiny in her hand, small and insignificant. The woman watched calmly as she brought the pills to her mouth as she quickly tipped her head back and dry swallowed them. They were bitter as they went down and she winced as the woman patted her head comfortingly. _“Brava ragassa,”_ She praised, _“_ _Adesso è finita.” Good girl, it’s over now._

She smiled, eyes closed as she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. She could feel the sun caressing her eyelids as she tilted her head toward the sky, a calming numbness begining to spread slowly through her body.

Soon she would know nothing.


	2. I: Tell Me Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (in order to protect you, there's really no other way)

_Castro Pretorio, Rome, Italy  
20:01:27_

_"Fuck!"_

The bustling room, which had been a riot of subtle noise moments earlier, suddenly fell completely silent as the _polizia_ who had gathered exchanged looks with each other, each of them eying the three newcomers with suspicion and confusion in their eyes. In his peripheral vision, Sasuke Uchiha saw Kakashi drop to his knees while Guy quickly spun on his heel and strode back through the door they had just come through. Sasuke knew that he should do something – go after Guy or at the very least pick Kakashi up off the ground – but he was too transfixed on the sight before him and those thoughts of helping seemed very far and distant.

Blood was spattered everywhere; on the walls, on the floor. It had pooled into dark, ugly puddles beneath the heads of the victim’s, the sharp metallic tang of it filled the air. The woman was lying face down on the floor, her once beautiful, shiny chestnut colored hair matted and sticky with blood. The man was lying in a crumpled heap on his side, blood dripping into his face from the bullet wound in his head. In his left hand, the man was loosely gripping a revolver.

With shaking hands, Sasuke attempted to pull a handkerchief from his coat pocket. He fumbled with it, a distant voice that sounded distinctly like his father chastising him for being such an embarrassment, before pulling it out and pressing it to his nose as bile rose up his throat. He was an Uchiha, goddammit and he needed to pull himself together; stay professional.

 _“Mirai!”_ Said Kakashi suddenly, breaking Sasuke’s concentration. The grey-haired man shot to his feet, moving more quickly than Sasuke would have expected to accost an officer who had been seconds away from asking who they were. Kakashi nearly towered over the man as he grabbed him by the front of his shirt. _“Where’s Mirai?!”_

_“What the hell is going on?”_

A dark haired man dressed in an unflattering brown tweed jacket was storming down the stairs, his expression trained on Kakashi who hardly seemed to notice him. _“Am I running a goddamn peep show? Who the hell let these people into my crime scene?”_

Kakashi turned toward the man, his breathing ragged and his expression grief stricken enough that it gave his dark eyes a wild edge. Sasuke didn’t move, didn’t do anything other than twist the platinum band around his finger with his thumb as if it were a life line he could somehow hold onto.

 _“Tell me,”_ Kakashi demanded, _“What happened to Asuma and Kurenai Sarutobi.”_

* * *

_Benghazi, Libya  
16:00:12_

"Mom, do you think you can call back later?" A weary Sakura Haruno asked as she collapsed back onto a sofa, fanning herself with her other hand. She rested her head against the couch's headrest and gave her eyes a dramatic roll. Out of all the times her mother could call, she always managed to call at the most inconvenient times.

"Sakura!" Her mother reprimanded. "I haven't seen my only daughter in nearly forever and now you expect to give up my calling rights too? I don't think so young lady!"

Sakura sighed and scratched her forehead, succumbing to her mother's will. The headache that she would get if she didn't was so not worth it right now.

"Alright, fine Mom. How are you doing?" Sakura adjusted her position so that she was lying on the couch and closed her eyes as she listened to her mother prattle on relentlessly about what she had been doing with her days and what she heard the local grocer say about her neighbor and other useless small town gossip.

In all honesty, Sakura could care less about the things her mother was talking about. Sakura loved her mom to bits, but she couldn't help but feel a slight disconnect. Sakura felt as if she had left small town drama and gossip in her past a very long time ago. If it had been a year ago, she would have happily listened with rapture to what new gossip she could learn. But now, it seemed to be the farthest thing from Sakura's mind.

"So enough about me." Said Mrs. Haruno, breaking into Sakura's thinking. "What is new with you? I haven't seen my only daughter in a year!" She cried.

"I'm fine, Mom." Sakura replied. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm not being dramatic." Said her mother airily. "How is that boy, you know, the one you said you were seeing…" Her mother said, sounding less than enthused.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "His name is Naruto, Mom, and if you're going to have such an attitude about it, then why did you even bring him up in the first place?" Sakura asked wearily.

"Oh sweetie, it's not that…" Her mother said apologetically. "It's just that you just broke off your engagement to Sasuke so quickly...don't you think you need some time, you're just not…rebounding back?" Her mother asked hesitantly.

Sakura sat up straighter and moved her phone to her left hand. "No Mom, it's not like that. I love him, and besides, Sasuke broke off the engagement remember?"

"Well…technically yes." Replied her mother. "But you said you loved Sasuke too. How can we really know if this time is different? We haven't even met the boy."

"Trust me, Mom," Said Sakura, putting emphasis in her voice, "This time it's different."

Sakura plopped her head back on the couch. Her mother just didn't understand. Naruto was so different from Sasuke and so was the way she felt about him. What Sakura couldn't understand was why her mother was giving her so much flack when Sasuke was married already. Not that Sakura doubted Sasuke and Hinata's feelings for each other in the slightest. Hinata proved to be a world class and dedicated friend to Sakura so far and kept in touch often. Sakura knew her and Sasuke were doing perfectly well together.

"Well maybe if we spoke to Naruto...that would be a nice little chat, right?" Her mother asked sweetly.

Sakura closed her eyes and put her hand over them. "Sorry, Mom," She replied, although she wasn't sorry in the slightest. "Naruto's not home right now."

Sakura was only half listening to her mother go on about how sorry she was when she heard the front door bang open.

"You know," Replied a voice moments later. "You look kinda sexy when you're all sweaty like that."

Sakura's heartbeat started to race as she interrupted her mother on the phone. "Hey Mom, listen, I'm sorry but I have to talk to you later. Love you, bye." She said rapidly before ending the call.

Before even lifting her hand from her eyes, she took the pillow out from behind her head and chucked it at the voice. She heard an oof and knew it made contact.

"Nasty pervert." She said grinning as she lifted her hand a little.

"Hey," Naruto complained as he fell down onto the couch beside her. "I said that with love in my voice."

"Hmm…" Said Sakura sitting up and looking thoughtful. "Maybe we should work on that." She said before leaning forward and kissing the tip of Naruto's nose.

Sakura gave her arms a stretch before she got up off the couch. "I'm gonna go take a shower." She called out to Naruto.

"Can I join you?" Asked Naruto, as he claimed the whole couch for himself and grabbed the remote off the small table in front of him.

"No!" Shouted Sakura. Naruto grinned, having known her answer anyway.

Naruto switched on the small TV and began flipping channels. Although small, the TV happened to be Naruto's pride and joy. He had managed to snatch a cable signal from a tenet downstairs enabling him and Sakura with all fifty channels. Not the best deal, but Naruto would take what he could get.

As Naruto flipped through the channels, he lamented on his easygoing life. A few years ago, Naruto wouldn't have thought it possible for him to have a life like this. But the past six months for him had been an easy bliss. With the ITP disbanded and his thieving days put to an end, Naruto had more than enough time on his hands. Post-civil war Libya wasn’t exactly safe, but it was surely safer when he didn’t have to worry about assassins coming to find him. Living with Sakura on the other hand, well that was a challenge, but a challenge he was willing to take.

He had never before met a woman that he wanted to be with, to live with, to _love_. But, Sakura wasn't much like the women he had been with before. In fact, he and Sakura fought half the time, but it was all in good nature. But this new found relationship also scared him sometimes. He wanted to give Sakura everything that she ever dreamed of, but he didn't know if he was the right person for that job. The most that he could do was support her in all of her decisions.

They had stayed in New York for two months in the brownstone that Sakura and Sasuke owned before Sakura found that her application into Doctors Without Borders had finally been approved. They had been in Benghazi for four months already. Naruto had settled for a nice boring security guard position at an American corporation downtown while Sakura spent her days at the local hospital. Neji had been kind enough to provide Naruto with some work history paper work. All in all, it was the most boring job Naruto had ever taken but he loved every minute of it.

Naruto twirled the remote around in his hand as he stared at an anchorman report the news, not understanding a word of the rapid Arabic the man was speaking. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed with him zoning out in front of the TV when he heard the bathroom door creak open and Sakura’s soft footsteps pad into the bedroom.

"Done already?" Naruto drawled, eyes still on the TV. Sakura’s footsteps echoed into the living room.

"Yes,” Said Sakura, stepping in front of the TV so Naruto’s gaze landed on her bare thighs. “So you can get your smelly ass in there now."

Naruto’s eyes drifted slowly upward until they hit Sakura’s face. She was pulling at the hem of her T-shirt almost embarrassingly and she softly bit her lip when Naruto’s gaze landed on her. God! She didn’t know what that innocent look did to him!

With a fox like grin, Naruto reached forward, tugging on Sakura’s thighs so she fell into him.

"Jeez!" Shrieked Sakura as she crashed into Naruto's lap as Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist, steadying her.

"What did you say about me?" Naruto asked, his voice low as it murmured in her ear. Sakura blushed as she felt his hot breath against her cheek.

"Smelly. Ass." Said Sakura, careful to enunciate each word clearly. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest and she noted with some amount of glee that his heartbeat seemed to be just as erratic as hers was beginning to be.

"Hmm…" Said Naruto.

Sakura blushed a deeper red and let out a yelp as she felt Naruto's calloused hand fall from her waist to start travelling up her bare thigh. Naruto's nose was now trailing along her neck and his hand was tracing small circles along her thigh. "I suppose I _could_ go take a shower, then I would smell as good as you." His nose traveled up the length of her neck and buried itself in her hair. She heard Naruto take a huge intake of breath. There was a low growl deep in his throat. The sound sent shivers down her spine.

"You wish." Growled Sakura. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him away from her neck, earning her a whine before she yanked him forward, pressing her lips aggressively to his. Naruto grinned under her kiss as he felt her slender hands slide between the locks of his hair.

Sakura broke away from Naruto after a few moments, her breathing labored. "I won.” She said breathlessly, her mouth at his ear.

"What did you win?" Naruto asked, his voice low as his hands moved to Sakura’s back before reaching down and sliding up her shirt. A red blush rose to Sakura's cheeks.

"I seduced you." She purred.

"Oh, Sakura, honey,” He murmured, his fingertips dangerously dipping under the hem of her underwear. "You started kissing _me._ So I think that means I seduced _you._ ”

Sakura clicked her tongue in annoyance. “You think so?”

"You’ll have to try a little harder." Naruto murmured, his lips once again pressed to her skin as they trailed down her neck toward the neckline of her shirt. “I am a master, after all.”

Sakura's heart was beginning to pound manically in her chest, just waiting to be released. She felt one of Naruto's hands begin to tug the hem of her underwear down her hip and she suppressed a moan that was building in her throat. Taking two handfuls of Naruto's shirt, she pulled him tight to her, holding on to him for support as his kisses sent her further into a frenzy.

Just as she was about to breathlessly suggest they take it to the bedroom, Sakura's cell phone jangled loudly from the living room, belting out the theme song to _Hawaii Five-0_.

Naruto groaned, his hands dropping away from Sakura instantly as he reluctantly sat back against the couch. "Whoever it is has the worse timing in the history of _earth_!" Naruto shouted as Sakura shook her head, putting a hand to her heart before fixing her underwear and standing up.

"Why is that ridiculous song your ringtone again?" Naruto asked, keeping the aggravation out of his voice as he picked up the remote again.

"Because," Ground out Sakura sourly, as if she too were angry at the interruption, "The dude from the remake is totally hot."

Naruto made a face, knowing that he would punish her for that comment later.

Sakura snatched her cell phone from where she last placed it. "Goddammit Mom, it better not be you!" She roared.

* * *

 _INTERPOL National Central Bureau_  
Rome, Italy  
_21:20:54_

Dark and fanatical images floated in and out of her vision, poking and prodding her with sharp and pointy objects that meant to hurt her. She cried out and ran, only to trip and fall. Stumbling up, her knees felt wet and slick with blood. Her feet slipped and she came crashing down once more. The blood was all around her now, suffocating her with its cloying scent. The blood was thick and warm; she could feel it on her face, underneath her fingernails…she felt like she was going to drown in it.

Someone was out there, wailing in the background. It was deep, a depressing reminder of everything she had ever lost and mournfully beautiful which only served as a contrast to the high pitched and keening laughter that accompanied it, reminding her of everything she would lose. Only after she had finished drowning in her own blood did she realize the sounds were coming from her…

"Hinata!"

Hinata jarred awake, her beautiful pearly eyes snapping open as she nearly jumped out of her seat. Gasping, her hands flew to her chest where her heart was pounding wildly while her eyes immediately darted to her knees.

They were clean, respectably sheathed in creased grey trousers. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

A warm hand touched her shoulder and Hinata jumped again before turning to face the person who woke her. Kiba was staring down at Hinata quizzically, concern painted in his warm brown eyes.

 _"Oh, Kiba."_ Hinata breathed as she attempted to slow her racing heart. _"You scared me."_ She murmured.

 _"I called your name at least ten times."_ Kiba said, his voice sounding troubled. _"You must have been in a deep sleep."_

Hinata looked away. Had she? She couldn't recall. Her brain produced fuzzy images, things that could have been dreams, but she didn't quite remember. Once again, Hinata's gaze dropped down to her knees and she couldn't help but feel confused.

Kiba's hand shook Hinata's shoulder and she snapped out of her daze once again. _"Oh, sorry, Kiba."_ She replied sheepishly. _“I think…it’s been a long day.”_

Kiba crossed his arms over his chest. _"You're tired, that much is clear."_ He said, sounding every bit as much as a concerned parent. _"You should really get home. As a married woman, don't you now have certain…obligations to your husband?"_ Kiba waggled his eyebrows, causing Hinata to blush. _"Can't have your spending all your time here."_

Hinata didn't respond, instead opting to smack Kiba in the shoulder. Kiba let out a good natured laugh, which did wonders in easing Hinata's nerves. Why was she so tense?

 _"Go home!"_ Kiba said, still laughing. _"That's an order. God knows your husband needs some quality time if he’s ever gonna get that stick out of his ass."_

 _“Kiba!”_ Exclaimed Hinata as she put a hand to her mouth in mock surprise _. “Just wait till Sasuke hears about this.”_

Kiba just chuckled, giving her a wide, but genuine smile. _“You wouldn’t.”_ He said cheekily. _“You love me too much.”_ Then his eyes softened for a moment, brow creasing as if contemplating something. “ _Get some sleep, Hinata. I've seen you dozing off a lot around here lately."_

Hinata gave Kiba a warm smile as she collected her things from her desk. _"You should go home too, Kiba. I'm sure you have...ah...certain obligations to your new girlfriend as well."_ She murmured, keeping her face perfectly straight.

"Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed, looking positively shocked at the innuendo. Hinata only let out a small giggle, a perfect and clear sounding noise and waved goodbye to her friend before moving out of the office, her heels clicking on the tiles.

Kiba, still chuckling, watched Hinata go, wondering when she managed to grow so bold. His thoughts traveled back to when he found Hinata dozing off at her desk, her face contorted as if she were pain. The smile faded from Kiba's face and he suddenly felt very worried.

The autumn wind rustled through Hinata's long locks of hair, which she had pinned back messily with a few bobby pins. Her scarf was hastily wrapped around her neck as she dug through her purse for her car keys. It wasn't that her purse was massively large – goodness, then for sure she would never find anything – yet she still could never seem to find what she was looking for.

Finally fishing her keys out, she approached her car – a new sleek white Audi coupe that Sasuke had insisted on her driving. While Hinata had protested with her husband that she would much rather continue driving her old and comfortable Fiat, Sasuke would not have it. Hinata had dutifully accepted, although she had felt very out of place driving the newer and sleeker car. While the Hyuuga's obviously had more money than they quite knew what to do with, they preferred to spend their old money on things of comfort that tended to be less ostentatious. The Uchiha, however, were quite apt and willing to flaunt their money.

As the doors clicked open with an audible snap and the light blinked, Hinata glanced out toward the darkened Italian sky. What she saw in front of her, however, was enough to make her drop her keys onto the pavement and let out a horrified scream.

 


	3. II: Prisoner of History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (are you coming to get me now?)

_Benghazi, Libya  
11:30:43_

Naruto reclined back in his chair, kicking his feet up loudly on the desk before him, enjoying the cool atmosphere an office building with air condition had to offer on a hot Libyan day. Beside him, his partner's eyes were transfixed eerily on the black Nintendo DS that he held diligently in his hands, his thumbs twiddling away. Naruto chuckled to himself, wishing that he could get lost in the video game world. Perhaps it had once been an option, but after living a hardened life on the streets, video games just couldn't hold that lure to him.

Naruto clasped one hand behind his head as he dug his phone out of his pocket – a newly purchased smartphone – and busied himself flicking through the day's top news stories. It was a rather typical day in the office for him and his partner. Not many people came through and when they did, they abided by the rules. Really, the position of 'security' was actually a giant joke. Naruto suspected that if he kept this position, his slim and fit physique would soon cease to exist.

The sound of the revolving door swishing alerted Naruto that someone had come in, yet he did nothing to change his position or even look up. The sound of shoes clacking on the clean polished floors came to a stop in front of the security desk.

"Please sign with your full name, date and time.” Said Naruto pushing a pen and clipboard toward the guest, his eyes not leaving his phone. "Identification, please?" He asked, holding his hand out expectantly.

There was a slight murmur of amusement. "If I'm here to see you, am I still required to fill out the sign in sheet?" A suave male voice asked.

Naruto's partner beside him – a young man around Naruto's age with golden brown skin and curly black hair – looked up from his DS and looked at Naruto expectantly, his eyebrows quizzically raised. Naruto's fingers froze over his phone and his blue eyes drifted up to look at the man before him. What he saw, however, didn't make him pleased. "Shit." He murmured, pulling his feet off the desk as he sat up.

Beside him, his partner reached for the phone that was situated on the desk. Naruto quickly waved him off as he stood up. "Neji? What are you doing here?"

Neji gave Naruto a brief smile on his pale, smooth face. His brown hair, significantly shorter compared to the last time Naruto saw him, was efficiently pulled away from his face and gathered into a low pony tail at the base of his neck. He was wearing a crisp white button up shirt with a light beige jacket and pants. An expensive Italian leather belt encircled his waist.

"Well…" He said, lifting his arm to pull away the sleeve of his jacket, revealing a small watch with a well-worn leather band. Neji briefly glanced at it before turning his pearly eyes on Naruto once again. "I'm here to ask you out to lunch I guess. There are some things I want to discuss with you."

Naruto bit his lip before glancing at his partner. He gave him a swift nod. "I suppose that would be ok." Naruto muttered as he walked out from around the desk. His eyes were wary as he followed Neji out of the cool comfort of the air conditioned building and into the already sweltering heat under the Moroccan sun.

"Are you a fan of Libyan food?" Neji asked amicably, his hands shoved in his pockets as he and Naruto walked along. "Libya isn’t exactly an easy country to enter, so while I’m here I’m dying for some _shorba arabiya…”_

"Why are you here, Neji?" Naruto asked, breaking through the comforting atmosphere Neji had been attempting to set up. It wasn't that he didn't like Neji, in fact Naruto was quite fond of the guy. After all, anyone who could piss one Sasuke Uchiha off was a swell guy in his book. But one couldn't forget the tiny detail that Neji was a spook. Call Naruto crazy, but would anyone actually be happy to find the CIA on their doorstep?

"Have you ever had _shorba arabiya?_ I know a great place.” Neji replied instead, neatly dodging Naruto's question.

Naruto sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his stiff brown pants. So Neji didn't want to talk just yet. Fine. Naruto followed Neji down the crowded and frenzied streets of Benghazi, wondering how exactly the man knew his way around the city better than he did.

Neji led Naruto to a street vendor that was ladling a thick brown soup into bowls for waiting customers. Neji ordered two bowls and quickly handed one to Naruto once they were ladled into Styrofoam bowls. Naruto sniffed at the soup as Neji led him away from the stand. It smelled good and spicy. Neji led them toward a small collection of table and chairs that were situated near an old woman who was selling silk scarves and sat down as if he owned the place.

“Mint tea?” Neji asked when a young Arabic man came over to take their order. “It’s a good substitute for beer on a day like today.”

Naruto hadn’t even realized they were at a café and absentmindedly shook his head no. Neji shrugged, as if to say ‘your loss’ before he gave his order in Arabic. Naruto was hardly surprised Neji spoke fluent Arabic. Naruto let Neji take a few spoonful’s of his soup, heard him prattle about how good it was an even tasted it himself (he had to admit, it was delicious) before he just about had enough of everything.

"Enough stalling, Hyuuga." Naruto said, his voice suddenly serious as he dropped his spoon back into his soup. If Neji was reporting a threat against him and Sakura, he needed to know.

Neji stared at Naruto for a beat, as if weighing his options before he smoothed a hand over his hair. "It's the ITP."

Naruto blanched and almost choked on his own saliva. "They're coming for me aren't they? For me and Sakura, the remaining ones…Shit I should have known…" Naruto said, his hands clenching into fists.

"No, it's not that!" Neji said, alarm coming into his voice. "No one is coming after you, relax."

"Sorry," Grumbled Naruto, "If I become a little tense when you mention the organization that ruined my life."

Traces of a smile ghosted over Neji's features. "A little touchy are we?"

"A little." Said Naruto. "Can you blame me?"

Neji shrugged sympathetically. "I thought you would be pleased to hear the round up attempts have gone rather well actually. In fact, Orochimaru succumbed to his injuries a few months ago. He contracted pneumonia."

Naruto smirked. "The poor bastard."

"Orochimaru's right hand man, Kabuto, is still alive however. We know he's harboring a lot of secrets, but the stingy son of a bitch still refuses to talk. He didn't react much to news of Orochimaru's death, so we still aren't sure what he still has to hide by keeping information from us."

"I'm sure you offered him generous compensation in order to turn him into an asset didn't you?" Naruto mused.

Neji gave Naruto a wry smile. "I offered to allow him to keep his life, in exchange for the information, but it appears that isn't generous enough."

Naruto laughed, feeling a bit more at ease. "We've managed to subdue most of the agents," Neji continued. "There are a few who have continued to elude us. I doubt they know anything about your hand in ITP's take down." Consoled Neji.

Naruto felt his heart lighten considerably and he allowed himself a cheeky smile. "Great then, fucking fabulous." He said, leaning back and allowing himself another bite of soup.

Neji's face, however, didn't express the same sort of relief. If Naruto hadn't been so lost and walking on cloud nine, he would have noticed that Neji's expression almost seemed to darken.

"Naruto…" Said Neji, breaking the blond haired man out of his reverie. "Do you remember any missions that you went on or who your targets were?"

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"

Neji clicked his well-manicured fingers against his water bottle. "We retrieved a lot of files, mission files detailing most of the assassinations that were carried out. Yours, however, were missing."

"Hm." Said Naruto thoughtfully. "Probably burned them. To erase all evidence that I ever existed after I was terminated." He mused. "Not surprising."

"But you did go on missions, didn't you?" Asked Neji, pressing. "Were your targets politicians or national enemies…?"

Naruto sighed. "I was only activated for one mission actually. A handler went with me since I was only…six at the time, I think. I actually don't remember much."

Neji clasped his hands in front of him, almost exasperated. "It's really pertinent that you remember."

Naruto's eyebrows narrowed. "What the hell is this about?"

Neji let out a deep sigh and Naruto sat forward, getting the feeling that Neji was about to delve into a deep story that he did not want to hear.

"When we purged ITP's files, we came across a number of financial documents. Lists of off-shore bank accounts, numerous high priced financial transactions…"

"Well, the clients had to pay somehow right?" Asked Naruto, not seeing the point.

"Client." Corrected Neji. "There was only one."

"…What?" Asked Naruto, noting how extremely odd Neji's statement just sounded. It was practically impossible for any hit man or assassin group to be funded solely by one client. First came the matter that no one had that many enemies and even if they did, there would no doubt be periods of lag where no jobs came through at all. The fact of the matter was, ITP _never_ experienced lag periods…at all. Countless youth and handlers were taken out every week to perform jobs.

"The ITP…they were _government_ funded." Said Neji, his voice stoic. He sat back a moment, allowing Naruto to absorb that fact.

Naruto felt as if his earth was shattering into a million little pieces. Ok, well maybe it wasn't that serious, but it was HUGE…mind blowing actually. Naruto had always assumed that Orochimaru was just a sick bastard, someone who enjoyed kidnapping orphaned children and training them to fuel his need for blood, or something to that extent. To find that Orochimaru had an employer, that it was his own government no less? That was heavy.

"We managed to trace back a few of the transactions, to the bank accounts where they originated from. While most were scattered across various places, three were connected back to the Cayman Islands, same account number and registered to the same person. Upon further investigation, they all connected back to the same name, a Pietro Pinelli. We're still running the name through our databases." Explained Neji.

"How do you know it was the government then, if you haven't traced the name back to them?" Questioned Naruto.

Neji gave Naruto a wry smile. "Coincidentally, that same account number was traced back to an arms deal for the Italian Armed Forces – one the government personally claimed they paid for. The reason no one ever found this connection is because no one was looking for it."

"Fuck me." Naruto muttered. "This is deep shit. Like… _Huge._ "

"You're telling me." Said Neji. "That's why it's crucial that you remember any details about the agency for us. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"Ugh." Naruto sat back, massaging his forehead. "I was a kid. Considering all that’s happened since then…you’ll forgive me if I can’t remember.”

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. Neji deserved more than his attitude.

“He was a suit…and it was in…in a hotel.” Said Naruto scrunching his forehead as he tried to remember. “I was scared…but I didn’t kill him. I just gave him a bunch of papers.”

“Papers?” Neji asked, puzzled.

“Yeah…” Said Naruto. “I followed him into the bathroom. I…I snuck under the stall and when he saw me…I remember he was scared…even after I gave them to him.”

“Do you remember what was on the papers?” Neji asked, leaning forward.

Naruto shook his head. “I didn’t look at them.”

“Did you know the man’s name? Or even when this happened? A year? Anything else?” Neji asked desperately.

Naruto ground his fingernails into his palm. “No, no I don’t remember anything…”

He remembered the tanned face of his handler Iruka with his deep scar running across the bridge of his nose. He remembered the kind-hearted man scooping Naruto into his arms as soon as he emerged from the bathroom, promising that he would buy him gelato from one of the stands outside before they went back. But first he had made a phone call…

"Andre?" Said Naruto suddenly. "Or Andretti? Something…something that sounded like that…”

Neji took his phone from his pocket and quickly texted the name. "I'll run it through the databases and see what comes up. Thanks, Naruto. I really do appreciate this."

"Hn." Said Naruto absentmindedly. The waiter finally returned with Neji’s tea and a bottle of water for Naruto. Naruto left the bottle of water untouched as Neji sipped at his tea and finished the rest of his soup. Naruto, however, had lost his appetite.

Naruto was morosely pushing chunks of meat around in his soup when Neji spoke again. "Naruto, I want you to be careful."

Naruto looked up, his once bright eyes now dull after all the information he received. "Why? I thought that you said the ITP wasn't after me…?"

"They aren't…" Allowed Neji. "But I just…I just think you should watch your back…" Murmured Neji as he slid a small black micro SD card across the table.

* * *

 

_Trastevere, Rome, Italy  
11:49:46_

Hinata shifted, her eyes opening to the gleaming sunlight pouring in through her bedroom window. She gave a soft yawn and stretched her limbs out before sitting up to comb through long, tangled black locks of hair. She rubbed at her forehead as she looked around her bedroom. She didn't remember returning home last night, how had she gotten into bed?

Gingerly sliding off the bed, she stood up and looked around. She heard the sound of fingers clacking on a keyboard and took a few steps, her head peeking into the adjoining study. Sasuke was sitting at his desk, furiously typing away on his laptop, his ear piece practically glued to his ear. Although his hair was neatly combed, he was bare footed and still wearing the baggy T-shirt and sweatpants that he usually wore to bed, signifying that he didn't plan on going into the office that day.

“Sasuke?” Hinata asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Sasuke immediately stopped typing. "Hinata?" He asked softly, turning toward her. Rolling away from his desk, he quickly approached her, his expression darkened with concern.

He guided her slowly back to bed, urging her to sit as he knelt before her, as if she were a small child. Up close, Hinata noticed the redness of his eyes – a common symptom from either a lack of sleep or staring at the computer screen too long – and Hinata immediately felt a stab of guilt. Had he stayed home because of her?

 _"How do you feel?"_ Sasuke asked, reaching for her hand.

 _"I'm fine."_ Said Hinata tentatively. _"Do you remember…"_ Her eyes gazed around the room, as if she was lost. _"…How I got home?"_

Sasuke's eyebrows creased. _"Inuzuka brought you home…he texted me, saying that you fainted in the parking lot? He was the one who brought you home and put you in bed. Do you remember fainting?”_

Hinata's eyebrows creased. _"Kiba? I don't remember…"_ She racked her brain, trying to remember what happened last night. She remembered Kiba waking her up, she remembered leaving the office and walking to her car…something happened…but what was it? She bunched her fists up, trying desperately to grasp at the memory.

 _"Don’t force it."_ Said Sasuke, putting a hand to her forehead. _"Perhaps we should get you in to see a doctor?"_

Hinata seemed to be at a loss for words as she shook her head, her mouth slightly agape. She saw someone last night, someone in the parking lot…why couldn't she remember? Why was everything so hazy?

Sasuke looked ready to say something when suddenly his phone rang. Jumping to his feet, Sasuke was in full business mode as he put a hand to his ear. "Uchiha." He said briskly.

Hinata paid no mind to Sasuke as he spared her another glance before swiftly striding into his study. Why couldn’t she remember? Her thin fingers grasped at the sheets again as she racked her mind for any vague piece of memory from last night. Finding that her efforts weren't producing any results, she slipped on a pair of satin slippers that were sitting by the bed and exited the bedroom.

Entering the huge kitchen, Hinata went straight for the cabinets, selecting a tall water glass before filling it with purified water and taking a large gulp. As the water slid down her throat, she felt her heartbeat begin to calm from its rapid rate and she took an intake of cool air. Draining the rest of the water, she carefully set the glass in the sink, quickly washing it out before moving back to the bedroom. She wouldn’t think about last night. Instead, she would freshen up and get dressed, maybe eat a bit of lunch before going to the office. She was confident that she would feel better after a shower and some food and maybe in due time, her memories would return to her.

She just needed to give her mind some time.

Hinata trailed her fingertips against the taupe colored walls as she walked slowly back toward the bedroom, her eyes glazing over the pictures that she and Sasuke had hung along the hallway. Suddenly stopping, Hinata's smile faded as her eyes rested on one framed photograph that hung near the middle.

Hanabi was still a small child, her hair pulled into pigtails and her smile as bright as sunshine and Hiashi stood behind a fifteen-year old Hinata, his hands stiffly on her shoulders. But that wasn't who Hinata was staring at. She was staring at the beautiful woman standing next to Hiashi, her frail arms wrapped around Hanabi, her pink lips pulled into the loveliest smile Hinata had ever seen.

It was her mother, the same woman Hinata had seen in the parking lot last night. Hinata couldn't help it, as it had been building in her throat as soon as her eyes saw the picture.

She screamed.

 

* * *

 

_Alexandria, Virginia, United States  
20:30:43_

Tenten Hyuuga walked out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair and not really caring that her long brown locks were dripping water down on her carpet. Efficiently wrapping the towel around her head, she flopped onto her elegantly decorated King sized bed, behaving more like a ten year-old instead of a woman who was approaching thirty.

Grabbing the remote off the nightstand, she quickly turned the TV on and proceeded to flip through the channels at an impressive rate. The house and the surroundings outside were eerily quiet, but for Tenten, the lack of noise had become customary for the small, quaint neighborhood they lived in. Sometimes, Tenten missed the disjointed rumblings of sound that seemed to never end when she and Neji had lived in their simple flat in Paris. Tenten had found it rather chic and romantic, but alas, they had moved back to Virginia and back into the impressive and unnecessarily large Hyuuga owned Victorian house that they lived in before Neji had accepted the job at the Paris American Embassy.

Tenten's chestnut colored eyes drifted to the bay window that overlooked the house's unnecessarily large backyard. The large oak just outside the window was almost bare, having dumped its contents on the lawn, as if it were just waiting for Tenten to haul her ass outside and rake them up. While Tenten wasn't fond of raking leaves – she never had to do it as a child – she found that she enjoyed going through the motions herself, rather than just hiring some landscapers as the rest of her filthy rich neighbors did. Tenten found with amusement that she didn't like to fit in and if being different meant she had to spend hours of grueling work of raking up leaves, then she would take it.

Tenten was used to not fitting in, and she found it strange to break tradition now. The Hong Kong native had grown up in an all-male household, with her mother having died a few years after her birth. Her two older brothers were nothing, if not the worst possible influences for their younger sister and they both had Tenten throwing punches before she was even five-years old. If Tenten's father could have stopped it, he would have, but sadly, the older man was rarely home, instead opting to work four or five odd jobs just to pay the rent on their dingy apartment and put food on the table.

His dream for Tenten was to remain the perfect filial daughter. To become evidence that the traditions of the mainland didn't have to die just because they had moved to the British occupied city. Perhaps if Tenten had the option, she would have tried to be what her father wanted. She loved her father dearly, but, as it would be, circumstance would just not allow it. As it was, by the age of fifteen, Tenten already had a revolver stuffed down the back of her pants and a dragon tattoo emblazoning the lower half of her back; evidence that she had become one of the _Sap Sei K –_ a member of the 14K, one of Hong Kong's most notorious Triads.

Nights spent in dimly lit alleyways, breathing in the heavy scent of cigarette smoke and cigars, the sound of shotguns, rolling die and shuffling money constituted Tenten's memories of her formative years. She was an efficient soldier and quickly moved up through the ranks of the Triad, doing both of her brothers proud and promptly digging her father's own grave, for he knew of Tenten's illegal activities but refused to rat her out, even when given the opportunity, instead opting to let the poison rot him from within…

Tenten was barely past twenty when she began running the 14K's entire arms trafficking operation. And she was good at it. Damn good at it. For someone who had completed as little schooling as Tenten did, instead opting to spend her days and nights hustling the streets, she understood the business more readily than any other her age. And life was good. She was feared by rival gang members for her notorious reputation in wielding weapons of any kind, she was respected within the Triad and she had more than enough money to ever know what to do with; enough to ensure that both she and her father would be living comfortably for a while.

But then, just as there is Yin and Yang, and as surely as what goes up must come down, Tenten's high came to an abrupt end. Tenten's father had passed away, both quickly and suddenly, as Tenten was enjoying the high life with her fellow Triad members. A heart attack, the doctors had said, most likely stressed related. Tenten's own heart had been shattered. Despite the fact that her father had refused to look her in the face, she had still tried. She still loved him. And salt had only been pressed into the wound as Tenten's oldest brother was murdered only weeks later by rival Triad members of the Sun Yee Oh.

Devastated, Tenten did the worst thing that she could have possibly done – she got sloppy just as the 14K's trafficking operation was beginning to forge in the States.

Everything had played out fine at first. Tenten's transition into what was known as the Land of the Free had been quite smooth, despite her less than ideal knowledge of the English language and the fact that she scared off all her neighbors – if not by her fierce look – then by the obvious dagger she had stuffed in her boot. But slowly, as all good things do, her cover slowly crumbled to the ground. A slip up here, a wrong word there, a misinformation elsewhere and Tenten soon found herself sitting under the nose of the CIA.

And who other than to bust her than a suave, possibly overconfident senior officer Neji Hyuuga? She hated him at first – plain and simple. He wanted to turn her into an asset, she told him to go fuck himself. In Cantonese of course, but as it was, the genius Neji was actually quite fluent in the language, which only pissed Tenten off more because every insult she threw at him, English or likewise, he had been able to understand.

Yet despite her less than cool tone with him, Neji persisted on, slowly but surely as he tried to win Tenten over to their side. As a top member within the 14K, the information that she held would be invaluable to the agency, not to mention the extra kick he got at the task of breaking her, but he kept that information privy to himself. (It wasn't until much later that he admitted this to the arms dealer and she thoroughly pummeled him for it).

But Tenten was just as stubborn and unwilling to give Neji that satisfaction. She hated him and she let that hatred for him nurture her. It made her feel better, to hate someone instead of feeling the grieving loss that she had been left with after the death of her father and oldest brother. He had nothing to go on anyway, he was nothing without her. Sure he could throw her in jail, but she knew him. She knew that the arrogant and overconfident bastard inside of him would never forfeit to her. And as long as he wasn't willing to lose, it put him at a stalemate. As long as he was at a stalemate, she had won.

It was in knowing this that Tenten let a smirk grace her face as she sat, legs crossed in an upscale bar sipping on a beer and reveling in the fact that SOON, Neji Hyuuga would be releasing her from his slimy hold. Needless to say, she almost spit her beer out when she saw him sidle up next to her. Those in hearing range had to cover their ears as they turned to look at the raging Chinese girl as she thoroughly cussed out an amused looking Neji. Clearly, he had come just to irritate her because he was in the losing position. Neji feigned ignorance and blamed her for interrupting him in his time off.

Eyewitness reports aren't sure who started it first, but punches were definitely thrown and not even Neji's credentials could keep his butt from being tossed on the alley floor. Tenten, obviously furious got the drop on Neji, managing to land a kick to his ribs before it turned into a full out brawl. Punches were thrown, kicks delivered and grappling ensued, yet neither of them could be certain, even years later, when fighting ceased to exist and where the kissing began.

Make up had managed to cover the black eye he sported to work the next day and he managed to hide his injured ribs quite nicely, although there was a not so subtle wince that accompanied every attempt to sit down. The scratch marks running down the smooth skin on his neck, however, weren't so easy. Neji was forced to say he had been clawed by a wild animal which was at least half the truth.

She still hated him, he was well aware of that fact. She had uttered it many times last night; it was why she beat him up so thoroughly. He wasn't going to delude himself since he honestly didn't care either way as well.

Neji and Tenten managed to hide it well, despite the bruises they often had to cover on their bodies. Their heated gazes filled with hate only fueled their aggression later on, their yelling matches that started on a professional level continued into the early hours of the morning. No one suspected, as no one could fake hate like that and it was their mutual hate for one another that drew them together.

But when would it end? When would they tire of it? Neji didn't have an answer to that question and neither did Tenten, not even when she found herself admiring Neji's sleeping form as she got ready to make her early departure. It wasn't until Neji's mother tried to set Neji up with a quaint, dainty, _useless_ girl and they got dangerously close to marriage that Neji realized that whatever happening between him and Tenten was no longer hate. Not when Neji found himself wishing that the beautiful waif like girl in front of him would knock him the jaw, simply because she felt like it. Not when he found himself wishing that when he first kissed her she would bite him on the lip just because she took pleasure in watching him bleed.

Although it broke his mother's heart, Neji knew he couldn't go through with it. And finally, when he found himself breezing by the windows at Tiffany's and seeing a ring that would no doubt look perfect on Tenten's agile (and skilled) finger, he knew he really cracked.

Likewise, things were no longer any easier on Tenten's side either. Tenten had been confident that she understood basic emotions, and that she understood the stark difference between hate and love. But perhaps where passion was involved it just muddled everything? It didn't make sense to Tenten, but she couldn't afford to make sense out of it. She wanted, _needed_ , to hate Neji. After all, he stood for everything that she was against. But it was hard, when her fingers remembered the ghost like feel of his skin and hair, and how when she imagined her father dying over and over, only the memory of his arms seemed to calm her.

Yet when news reached her that her brother, the last family she had left, had been killed in a power struggle within the 14K, she cracked. It meant that Neji had won, but somehow, that wasn't so bad anymore.

The first time he asked her to marry him, she had rejected him. To think that after all this time, she would actually live out the life her father had wanted for her? It was unfathomable, even if Neji was hardly the suitable husband he would have expected for her. She could just imagine her father now, complaining about how it pained him that she would be marrying some Yankee white _gwailo._

When he asked her a second time, however, Tenten really had no other reason to say no. She loved him, something that had taken a while to come to terms with, and there was really nothing more ironic than the genius Neji Hyuuga, the prized possession of both the Hyuuga family and the CIA stooping so low as to marry a former Chinese gangster with no family. For those reason alone she _had_ to marry him, not to mention she really cherished the look on her mother-in-law's face when she found out who her new daughter to be was. But really that was just an added bonus.

Tenten broke out of her thoughts, a smile on her face when the phone started to ring.

Grinning, Tenten let it ring once more as she finally settled on a channel before reaching over and snatching the portable from the dock and putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Ten."

"Hello, lover." Said Tenten, "How's the vacation?"

It was an inside joke between the two of them that whenever Neji had to go away for work, it would be referred to as a 'vacation', despite the fact that his trips rarely could be considered as such. It was just so much easier to say, 'oh, my husband is on vacation' when she met her friends for coffee instead of the harder to swallow, not to mention often "classified" truth.

Neji was silent on the other end which made Tenten frown.

"Things are getting complicated." Neji intoned.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked, the teasing and playful nature evaporating from her voice as she sat up.

"Tenten…this time…I'm really worried."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorba Arabiya is a thick, spiced soup and one of Libya's most popular dishes


	4. III: Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (i’m so sorry, but i love you)

_Trastevere, Rome, Italy  
11:55:09_

"Anything?" Sasuke asked, almost hating and regretting the desperateness that was apparent in his own voice.

"It was definitely suicide." Said Guy with a twinge of remorse. "Blood spatter analysis confirmed it. The _polizia_ also traced the gun back. It was registered to Asuma."

Sasuke let out a sigh. "In your honest opinion?" He asked. Sasuke had a huge amount of respect for Guy. Although extremely exuberant in attitude and despite his odd rivalry with Kakashi, the man was more dedicated to his job than half the people on the force. He had more solved cases under his belt than most could brag about even if he did prance around in spandex and Sasuke had learned in time that his opinion was to be highly respected.

There was a pause on Guy's end. "I don't know, Sasuke." Guy finally responded, sounding defeated. "I just …" The sound of fear, confusion and hopelessness reflected back to Sasuke's ears.

Guy was silent for a moment over the phone before Sasuke heard him take a calming breath. "He was a good guy, Asuma…it just didn't make sense. He and Kurenai were in a good place, they just had a baby…" Guy paused again. "You should really ask Kaka…"

The rest of Gai's words were drowned out as a shrill scream pierced through Sasuke and echoed around the empty house. Sasuke's heart jumped into his throat and his feet were moving a second later.

Hinata!

* * *

 

_Benghazi, Libya  
14:16:56_

_Birth Mother: Uzumaki, Kushina_

Naruto stared blankly at the name, his mind buzzing as if it were trying to form a face to fit the name he saw on the screen.

With a sigh, he put his phone down on the desk and turned his chair away from his partner, who had been eyeing him every so often. Leaning over, he put his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut. As Neji slid the micro SD card across the table to him during lunch, he promised that it would help shed some light on Naruto’s origins. A tiny part of Naruto had always wondered who his parents were. Especially as a child, he wondered how he had ended up with the cruel fate of being with the ITP, since he had been there ever since he could remember. As he got older, the thought of parents faded away as he focused on what could be considered his day job, but a part of him still wondered.

Who were they? Why did they give him up? Why was the ITP the only thing he could remember? Would he feel complete if he knew? Would he have a better sense of belonging?

Naruto felt more broken up and confused more than ever.

When he slid the SD card into his phone, he found a few high quality pictures of some documents. The first had been an adoption record from 1992 where Naruto saw he had been adopted from the Orfan San’Maria in Aquino in Rome to a man named Ignazio Bellini. The name didn’t ring any bells.

The second document, however gaze Naruto pause. It was a picture of a yellowing paper document that had been filled out from the orphanage San’Maria in Aquino.

 _Date: December 22, 1992_  
Birth Name: Uzumaki, Naruto  
Birth Date: October 10, 1988  
Gender: Male  
Age: 4  
Height:'3-2"  
Weight: 50lbs  
Birth Father (If Known):  
Birth Mother (If Known): Uzumaki, Kushina

The rest listed the results of an initial physical examination he received.

'If I was four years old already, why are there no memories? Not even the fuzziest image of my mother's face?' Nartuto thought.

Blowing out another angry breath, he closed the document and popped out the SD card. He paused, biting his lip for a moment before opening up Google. He paused, his fingers frozen over the screen before typing in one name.

_Kushina Uzumaki_

It took less than a second for results to pop up. Naruto held his breath and quickly scrolled through the links. Most were irrelevant except for a couple of old burbs that detailed Kushina Uzumaki’s marriage to someone named Minato Namikaze. They had married in June of 1987; well over a year before Naruto was born. Was Minato Namikaze his father? Or had he been born out of wedlock?

Naruto typed in Minato Namikaze's name in the search bar. As the search results popped up, he found that his heart had stopped as the first result – a news result – had the man's name in bold.

With shaking fingers, he clicked on it. It was a short excerpt from a well-known Italian newspaper _Il Roma_ and it bore the title: Prominent Politician Minato Namikaze Dies in Car Crash off the Tiber. The article was dated September of 1992 – three months before Naruto was given up for adoption. Not only that, but the article mentioned that he was survived by his wife, Kushina and a son.

Naruto’s brain hurt. His heart hurt. Could he have been the son the article was talking about? If so, why had his mother given him up for adoption? What had happened to her? And most of all, if Minato Namikaze _was_ his father, why was his name changed on the adoption records? Naruto realized he was scared. Scared, confused, boggled beyond belief. The relief that should have come with knowing who his birth parents were was nowhere to be found.

* * *

 

 _Republic Hospital for Poor Citizens_  
Benghazi, Libya  
14:00:10

Sakura wiped a few beads of sweat off of her forehead with her forearm. Despite the air conditioning that the hospital provided, she was still practically sweating like a pig. She lowered her arm and lightly slapped the patients arm, gaining a rosy blush. Sakura smiled and then turned away, picking up a syringe that was resting on a small table by the patient's bed. Sakura quickly ripped the packaging off and uncapped the syringe, pushing the air out before administering it into the patient's arm.

"Good girl!" Said Sakura as she pulled the syringe back out. She smiled for the little girl in front of her, for despite having tears glistening in her eyes, they hadn’t spilled over when Sakura had administered her vaccination. Sakura quickly discarded the used syringe in one of the biohazard containers and then bent down to eye level before the little girl.

The little girl stared at her, as if wary of Sakura. From the pocket of her lab coat, Sakura pulled out a piece of wrapped candy. The girl’s eyed widened and she looked to her mother sitting nearby on a chair as if waiting for permission. When her mother nodded, the girl gave Sakura a bright smile before plucking the candy from her hand and eagerly unwrapping it. Sakura laughed as she stood up before gesturing to the girl’s mother that they could leave.

The woman bowed her head in thanks to Sakura while ushering her daughter away. Sakura watched as the little girl bounced away before poking her head out of the cloth partition that had been set up and gestured that she was ready for the next patient. Unfortunately, space was limited in most Libyan hospitals and Sakura had to make do with what she was given. Often, the patients weren’t given the privacy they deserved, but most patients didn’t seem bothered by this. They were happy just to receive hospital care.

For the past couple months, Sakura’s days more or less passed in the same fashion. Providing children with basic vaccinations when they were in supply, treating sick patients and on a few occasions, battered women who were brave enough to seek medical care. The days were long and hot, but Sakura didn’t mind working the long hours. This is what she had signed up to do.

An hour and a half later, Sakura was in desperate need for a caffeine break. The only problem was, there was no coffee machine so Sakura was forced to use the hot water dispenser to get hot water so she could dissolve her powered coffee. Powdered coffee tasted like shit, but Sakura had to do what she could.

The midday heat inside the hospital was already excruciating and Sakura wanted nothing better than to go hide in a shadowy corner and nurse her lukewarm coffee – which was in desperate need of some ice. God, what she wouldn’t give for a Starbucks that could give her an iced coffee right now. But Sakura knew better than to complain. This is what she had signed up for, this is what she had wanted and there were bigger things out there to complain about.

“Is anyone out there?”

Sakura let out a startled yelp as a head suddenly darted into her path from beyond a curtained partition. The shock of it was enough to stop Sakura in her tracks and cause her to jerk her arms, coffee sloshing out and splashing on her shirt.

“Oh, Christ.” Said the head.

The head disappeared as Sakura let out a groan, only to reappear attached to a male body and carrying a handful of fresh tissues. “Jesus, I’m so sorry...” He said as he started wiping at the coffee stains profusely. “Do you speak English?” He asked, looking up at her.

“Please stop.” Said Sakura in a strained voice as she looked down at the hands that were wiping and patting at her shirt. She could feel her cheeks heating and she willed herself not to get embarrassed.

“Oh, sorry.” Said the man as he quickly withdrew his hands, looking sheepish.

Sakura let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose before she finally lifted her eyes to take a good look at the man. He was tall with suntanned skin and a dark stubble coating his cheeks. Sakura was trying to fathom what an attractive Caucasian man was doing hanging around the hospital until she noticed a large a deep cut that had been sealed over with dried blood on his forearm that was partially hidden by a plethora of braided leather bands on his wrist.

“You’re injured.” Sakura stated, her eyebrows furrowing at the cut.

“Oh,” Said the man, looking down at his arm as if he just remembered it. “Right, yes. They told me to wait in here,” He said, gesturing to the curtain behind him with his thumb, “Or at least I _think_ they told me to wait in here. No one ever came in to check on me so I was hoping to flag someone down when…”

He glanced sheepishly at Sakura’s shirt once more and Sakura just shook her head. “C’mon.” She said, walking through the curtain partition.

Sakura prepared some antiseptic before kneeling before the man who had seated himself on a rickety hospital bed. She pushed the leather bands out of the way and dabbed at the cut with the antiseptic, ignoring as the man grimaced. The cut would still need a few stitches, but once it had been cleaned of dried blood, it wasn’t as bad as Sakura had initially thought.

“So…” Began the man awkwardly. “You American?”

Sakura nodded her head shyly as she finished wiping up the blood. She stood to get a needle and thread. Hopefully their supply of sterilized needles hadn’t run out.

“Yeah, me too.” The man continued when it became apparent Sakura wasn’t going to say anymore. “I’m from San Diego originally. I’ve only been here a month or so.”

“You’re going to need stitches.” Said Sakura finally as she found the last sterilized needle among the other dwindling medical supplies and readied the thread. “Like…real needle and thread stitches. Your cut is too deep to use the butterfly ones.” She turned her head toward him, “Is that alright?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly and the blue of his irises glinted slightly in under the lightning. “Oh, right, yeah! By all means.” He said, looking down at the gash.

Sakura nodded her head and gestured for the man to lay his arm flat against the bed so she could work. When she lowered the needle to his skin, he flinched, causing Sakura to pull away. She glanced up at him. “Is this your first time getting stitches?”

“Yeah,” The man admitted. “I’ve broken my arm before…and my big toe. But I’ve never had to get stitches before.”

“It will sting a little.” Sakura admitted. “But helps if you talk through it.”

“Talk through it, yeah, I can do that…!” The man flinched as Sakura pierced his skin with the needle. A quick glance up at him showed Sakura that he had squeezed his eyes shut.

“So talk to me.” Said Sakura as she made her first stitch. “What’s your name?”

“Marcus Albright.” Said the man. “I’m a photojournalist for Reuters. I’ve been poking around Libya, seeing how the recovery efforts are going. I was in Greece and Turkey before this, but this is my first time in Africa.”

Sakura nodded her head as she made another stitch which caused Marcus to let out a yelp. Sakura stifled her giggle. “Keep talking.” She advised. “How did you get a cut like this?”

“Keep talking! Right,” Said Marcus. “I was poking around some spots that got hit with some heavy damage and I tripped over some rubble and gashed my arm on some metal rods that were sticking out of the rubble, real smooth, huh?”

“Very.” Sakura agreed. “It seems you rival my own knack for clumsiness.”

“You?” Said Marcus in disbelief. “Nah, I don’t believe it. You’re a doctor and if the way you are stitching me up is anything to go by, I would say you have more grace than Grace Kelly herself.”

“Clever.” Said Sakura.

“Also you have the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen.”

Sakura felt her face heating again. “Alright, all done.” She said, avoiding his eyes as she stood up. As a doctor, Sakura had learned to put professionalism before her feelings of embarrassment and anxiety, but after that last comment, Sakura could now remember how awkward she used to be around attractive men.

“You can take the bandage off tomorrow.” Sakura explained as she tossed the needle and the bloody tissues in a waste bin. “And you’ll need to come back in ten days for me to take the stitches out again.”

“Not…sooner?” Marcus asked.

Sakura turned to him. “Sooner?” She asked, confused.

“I’m sorry.” Said Marcus, suddenly looking embarrassed. “Maybe I didn’t…are you taken?” He asked.

“Taken!” Said Sakura suddenly surprised. “No, I’m not taken. I mean…I am seeing someone…” She added awkwardly.

Marcus nodded his head. “Of course. I mean someone like you,” He said, gesturing to Sakura which only made her cheeks turn pink again. “Doesn’t stay on the market for long. Right, so just…don’t mind me.” He said, forcing a smile on his face.

Sakura bit her lip as she watched Marcus gather his messenger bag from the ground and sling it across his body. He stood there awkwardly for a minute. “So, I guess I’ll see you in ten days then.” He pushed through the curtain partition and disappeared.

After a minute, Sakura followed after him, watching as he walked down the hallway. She bit her lip before speaking. “I’m flattered!”

Marcus turned around, his expression confused. “Huh?”

“I just wanted to say I’m flattered.” Sakura repeated as she took a few steps closer. “You know, I mean…”

Marcus grinned, the smile spreading across his face like an infection. “What’s your name?”

“Sakura.” Said Sakura instinctively. “I mean. _Doctor_ Sakura Haruno.”

Marcus nodded his head, still smiling. “I’ll see you soon, Dr. Haruno.” He gave her a salute before disappearing down the hall.

* * *

 

_Trastevere , Rome, Italy  
11:58:34_

"Hinata!" Sasuke yelled, his feet rapidly pounding down the stairs.

"Sasuke! What's going on!?" Guy yelled in his ear.

Sasuke ripped the ear piece off and dropped it on the floor as he saw Hinata standing on the staircase, her hands to her heart and her eyes widened with fear in disbelief.

"Hinata!" Sasuke roared, his voice on edge as he quickly spun his trembling wife toward him, his hands frantically roving over her, checking for signs of harm.

 _"Are you hurt?"_ He asked quickly, “Che è successo _?"_ His voice was laced with overwhelming worry and his hands tightly gripped hers. _What’s happened?_

Hinata's quivering form shook against his and her eyes, wide with horror slid away from Sasuke and back toward the picture of her once family. She stared long and hard at her mother's face, the memory of the previous night still pressing down hard in her mind.

With great effort, she took a deep intake of breath and tried to calm her racing heart. Her shoulders lolled as she relaxed and she turned back to face Sasuke. She bit her lip and her heart ached instantly at the sight of his anxious face. His dark eyes roved over her face, as if he were looking for signs of injury or trauma.

"Hinata?" He asked, his eyebrows creasing.

Hinata's teeth dug into her lip. Sasuke's eyes seemed to be boring into her, his hands like heavy clamps around her hands. The pressure seemed to be too great. She pushed the image of her dead and apparently still walking mother out of her mind.

She pushed a steady smile onto her face, almost grimacing at how fake it felt. _"I'm so clumsy."_ Hinata mumbled. _"I thought I stepped on a piece of glass. I suppose I was really startled, I really shouldn't have screamed so loud. Gosh, you must have thought I was having a heart attack or something!"_ Hinata giggled. The sounds coming from her throat sounded traitorous to her.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and he feared that if he didn't stop doing that, he would have forehead wrinkles by the time he was thirty. He couldn't help but be skeptical of her claim. He released her hands and bent down, retrieving his dropped ear piece.

 _" Do you need me to look at your foot?"_ Sasuke asked, his fingers lightly touching her bare ankle. He noticed the slippers on her feet.

 _"Uh, no."_ Said Hinata. _"I-I should be fine…"_ She mumbled.

Sasuke stood up, his eyes wary as he straightened out his clothes and fixed the ear piece back on his ear. Guy had hung up already and knowing the spandex wearing man was prone to jumping to conclusions, Sasuke would be surprised if hundreds of Interpol agents suddenly came busting through the front door. Bloody perfect.

Sasuke fixed his eyes back on his wife and saw that she was staring toward the ground, her thumbs twiddling nervously. Sasuke grimaced at the annoying habit.

 _"_ Bella _…"_ Said Sasuke, his voice calm and soothing despite his confusion and irritation. _"If you're hiding something from me…with everything going on right now…I don't think I could handle it…"_ He said, stating the simple truth.

Hinata's pale eyes snapped toward Sasuke and her lips parted. _"Sasuke, no."_ She said, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging her body toward his. _"Nothing is wrong really. I think I'm still a bit loopy from the night before. I promise everything is ok."_

She felt Sasuke's arms slide around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Her small hands reached up slowly to stroke his hair.

Hinata was more than willing to chalk up the appearance of her dead mother appearing in front of her in the parking garage up to a lack of sleep. She was willing to brush off the fact that her mother looked more lifelike than any of her memories could supply to the fact that she was simply tired.

Hinata decided to keep her problems to herself and remain unselfish just this once, because she knew that Sasuke had more than he could handle on his emotional plate right now. Hinata was willing to pass off that she might have just made one of the biggest mistakes of her life to the fact that she was simple too tired.

* * *

 

_Benghazi, Libya  
17:10:08_

"Hey, Mom." Sakura sighed, sitting down on the couch, the midday sun painting their small cramped living room a lively orange hue. She could feel the sun on her face with striking intensity despite the approaching winter season. She had an awful sense of Déjà vu.

"Oh, Sakura!" Her mother cried. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for _ages!_ Have you been busy?"

"Yes, Mom." Sakura lied. "I am a doctor, remember?"

"Of course I remember, dear." Her mother chortled. "That's my daughter, the doctor." She sighed. Sakura rolled her eyes as if she could just see her mother, beaming with pride from halfway across world.

"Mom," Said Sakura, bringing her mother back to reality. "Why were you so anxious to get a hold of me?"

"Oh!" Exclaimed her mother, as if she had suddenly remembered something very important. "I have some exciting news. Some very exciting news indeed!"

"Well what is it?" Sakura didn't mean to sound curt, but sometimes her mother could only be taken in small doses in one given moment.

"It's your cousin! She's getting married!" Her mother cried, causing Sakura to quickly pull the phone away from her ear. As it was, her ear drum was still ringing in the aftermath of her mother's high screech.

"Oh! Joy…" Said Sakura with as much fake enthusiasm as she could muster.

Sakura hadn't grown up with a large family – in fact her family was really quite modest. An aunt on her mother's side and an aunt and uncle on her father's side, Sakura couldn't say she grew up in the close knit family dynamic. Her father's brother and sister had both lived far away during Sakura's childhood, resulting in her seeing her cousins only during family functions which didn't happen often. As a result, Sakura ended up growing closer to her cousin on her mother's side – a loud mouthed girl Sakura's age named Karin. Sakura used to enjoy the times that she spent with her cousin. Karin used to be a bright and energetic girl with an incredible affinity for reading people. Sakura used to call it her super power because Karin often could tell how their parents would react to a certain situation and she knew how to use it to her advantage. Sakura always used to be so shy and reserved in comparison.

Even in high school, Sakura felt like she was stuck in Karin's shadow while she remained the wallflower. Karin was pretty and popular; a wild party girl that Sakura could never see herself becoming. Boys seemed to flock to Karin, just drifting past Sakura. Yet Sakura never resented her cousin for it – they still got along wonderfully, even if it did mean that Karin would drag Sakura to parties that she was never invited to and she would just end up sitting on a couch in a corner; even if it did mean that her first time getting drunk and getting high were _not_ memorable experiences. Karin always used to make things sound more glorious than they actually were – and it was a definite plus that neither of the girls were ever punished for their deeds thanks to Karin's 'superpower'.

Yet things had changed, as all things inevitably did.

"Yes, yes…" Said Sakura's mother, not catching onto her daughter's sarcasm. "Your aunt tells me that he is a very nice boy…they plan on getting married next year. Oh, how exciting it is, to have a marriage in the family…especially since _you_ are no longer getting married…"

Sakura rolled her eyes and let out an angry sigh. Here they went again! Déjà vu indeed… "Mother! We already went over this…"

"Alright dear, I don't want to fight with you over this now…" Her mother sighed, almost exasperated.

"Thank you." Said Sakura relieved as she sat back on the couch.

"What I really wanted to ask you is if you think you'll be able to come home soon. Karin's engagement party is soon and I thought it would be so nice to have the whole family together once more…You can even bring your…male friend…Naruto was it?"

Sakura clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her mother couldn't even bring herself to call by Naruto by his correct title as Sakura's _boyfriend,_ as if by saying it, her mother would have to accept that Sakura had moved on from Sasuke and found someone new. "Wow Mom, that's really generous of you. Sorry, but Naruto and I are actually very busy. I don't know if we'll be able to make it." Said Sakura, not feeling sorry at all.

"Oh, but dear, you _will_ try won't you?" Her mother asked, worry coloring her voice.

"Yes, Mom, I'll _try_. But I really can't guarantee anything. We're actually very busy people." Said Sakura. Like she really wanted to go home to attend her cousin's engagement party.

"Oh good." Said her mother, sounding satisfied.

"Sakuraaaaa…" Naruto suddenly whined as he entered their apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sakura barely concealed her grin. Right on cue. "Okay Mom, was that all you had to tell me? I have to go, because as I said before, I'm really quite _busy._ "

"Well…alright Sakura." Said her mother reluctantly. "I love you, honey."

"Love you too, Mom. Bye." Sakura didn't wait for her mom to answer before ending the call. She turned to see Naruto just as he entered the living room.

"Your Mom again?" Naruto asked, plopping onto the couch beside her. "What did she want?"

"Oh…just to tell me my cousin Karin is getting engaged." Said Sakura airily as she waved her hand about. "No big deal. She was trying to harangue me into coming in for her engagement party. As if…" Sakura scoffed.

"A party?" Said Naruto, perking up. “That sounds fun. Maybe we should go."

Sakura turned to look at Naruto incredulously. "You _want_ to go?"

"Yeah." Said Naruto eagerly. "I could meet your folks and it would be a nice…vacation!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Since when have you _ever_ been eager to meet my parents? As far as I can tell, you've never been the 'meet the parents' kind of guy. Besides, I already told my mom the chances of us coming were slim."

"Maybe you're right…" Said Naruto, tapping his lip. "Now that I think about it…meeting the parents actually does sound terrifying. I mean, meeting your Dad…" Naruto paused, a shiver running down his body. "Yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that. But…it doesn't mean that _you_ can't go…"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait…are you suggesting that I go _by myself?"_

"Well…" Said Naruto, giving her the best innocent look that he could muster, "I mean you must miss your parents, right? I mean, every girl misses their mom…"

"Yeah…" Sakura allowed, "That may be true, but you haven't met _my mom_ yet. Are you…are you trying to get rid of me?" Sakura asked, her voice raising in pitch as she turned to Naruto, her green eyes blazing.

"What?" Naruto squeaked, jumping up from his seat. "No…why would I do that? I just thought it could be nice for you, you know, seeing the family and all…didn't you say it was your cousin's engagement party?"

"She's a bitch." Sakura said, still suspicious of Naruto's intentions.

"Well…" Said Naruto, blowing out a breath. "That's harsh."

"You've never met her." Sakura said curtly.

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, confused at Sakura's sudden change in temperament.

"So, is there a specific reason why you're so anxious to get me to go?" Said Sakura, rising to meet Naruto. "Is there something _wrong?"_

"No." Naruto answered, perhaps a beat too quickly. "Why would there be something wrong?"

"Because you’re acting strange." Said Sakura with a pointed look.

"I'm not acting strange." Naruto said defensively. He quickly turned from Sakura, heading into the kitchen.

Sakura followed him, still not convinced. Naruto pulled open the fridge, grabbing a carton of orange juice and unscrewed the top to have a drink. Sakura quickly snatched the carton from his hand, ignoring his protests and poured some into a glass from the kitchen sink before handing it back to him. "You know that you can talk to me, right?" Sakura asked, her voice softer this time.

Naruto sighed and brought the glass down from his lips. "Of course, Sakura." He said. "I'm just worried, that's all. You deserve to have… _normal_. I mean, I dragged you away from New York…"

"I dragged _you_ away from New York." Sakura amended.

"Fine." Said Naruto. "The point is, I worry about you. I want you to have a normal life and things with me aren't always so normal."

"That was before." Said Sakura, warmly touching her hand to his.

"Yeah, you're right." Said Naruto. He flashed a brief smile before quickly pressing his lips to her forehead. Sakura didn't seem to notice that his smile was the sad sort of smile.

 


	5. IV: Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (this is the only thing i know)

_Republic Hospital for Poor Citizens_  
Benghazi, Libya  
12:45:58

“Dr. Haruno? There’s someone waiting for you in the reception area.”

Sakura put her cup of coffee down on the counter and turned to look at the bearded man who approached her. Someone waiting for her? She normally didn’t get visitors.

“Thanks.” She said with a small smile before she moved off toward the hospital entrance.

When she came through the reception doors, she found none other than Marcus Albright standing in the middle of the lobby, looking a little lost. His arm was still bandaged and he had his messenger bag slung across his body while a camera hung from his shoulder. Upon catching sight of Sakura, his face immediately lit up which made Sakura both uncomfortable and exhilarated before he ambled over to her.

“Mr. Albright?” She said uncertainly. “I don’t think it’s been ten days yet…?”

“Please, it’s Marcus.” He said with a smile. “And I didn’t want to wait that long to see you.”

This made Sakura purse her lips and swallow nervously. “Mr. Alb– I mean Marcus…um, I already told you that I’m with someone…”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I remember.” Then Marcus’s eyes widened and he looked aghast. “Oh! You thought I meant…yeah, well I guess I didn’t make it sound that way…” He said, trailing off sheepishly.

“I only meant it in a way that you are the only person I know here. And I thought it would be cool if we could sometimes do things together.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow. “Do things together?”

“Yeah,” Said Marcus with a smile. “Like friends? I mean I am still like _alittlebitattracted_ to you,” He said, his words coming out in a rush, “But I mean you wouldn’t ever have to worry about me trying anything. I promise. I’m not that kind of guy.”

Sakura didn’t know what to say. On one hand, she was sort of perturbed by this man. He was obviously very attractive and for that reason alone Sakura knew he had no business being attractive to her. But he was also flustered and quirky which was a bit endearing because it made him more relatable. On the other hand, Sakura was too embarrassed to refuse him and because she knew how bad she would feel about it later. He was only being earnest with her and it was not as if he was suggesting something that Sakura couldn’t commit to. He only wanted to be friends and Sakura knew that aside from Ino and Obito – who were both thousands of miles away – she only had Naruto and nobody else.

“So what do you say?” Marcus asked, almost shyly.

Sakura gave him a soft smile. “Ok.”

* * *

 

 _INTERPOL National Center Bureau_  
Rome, Italy  
14:15:12

Hinata sprang awake, as the cell phone sitting on her desk started echoing its standard tone while vibrating across the smooth surface of her desk. Catching her breath and quickly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the heel of her hand, she snatched the phone.

"Hyuuga." She responded automatically.

**_"We know you, Hinata Hyuuga."_ **

Hinata let out a squeak as the eerie voice filtered through the phone's speaker and into her ear. The sleep instantly vanished from her brain and she clenched the phone tighter in her hand, her spine becoming tense and rigid.

"Who are you?" She whispered, white eyes darting around the office as if she could determine the speaker.

**_"We know you, and we are ALWAYS watching."_ **

The phone slipped from Hinata's fingers and clattered onto the desk.

Hinata's eyes sprung open and she jolted away from her desk with a gasp. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest as she looked to her desk. Her iPhone was nowhere in sight – instead it was probably still sitting in her purse where she originally put it. Scrambling to get her purse out from underneath her desk, she grabbed it and slammed it down on her desk before frantically rummaging through it.

She grasped the phone, quickly pulling it out and scrolling through her call history. There was no number that seemed out of place.

_"Did you miss a phone call?"_

Hinata gave out a loud gasp and her phone dropped from her hands, clattering on the desktop like a former memory. She quickly retrieved it upon seeing Kakashi standing before her, hands casually in the pockets of his dress pants.

She took a moment to compose herself, calming her beating heart before she looked at Kakashi. _"No, apparently not…"_ She said. _"I guess I'm just tired…"_

_"Sasuke hasn't been keeping you up too late has he?"_

Hinata's cheeks reddened. That was the second time a co-worker made an innuendo about her and Sasuke's sex life. _"Kakashi…I…"_ Stuttered Hinata.

 _"I meant with the case. Asuma's case…"_ Kakashi trailed off and his dark eyes darted away from her.

Immediately, Hinata felt embarrassed about the quick assumption that she had made. _"Mi dispiace…"_ She apologized, her eyes dropped to gaze at her lap.

Kakashi softly nodded his head in acknowledgement. There was silence between the two; Kakashi drowning in the shadowy depths of his grief and Hinata desperately searching for the correct words that would throw him a life line. _"It comes with the job."_ He sighed after a few minutes passed by. _"You never know which day might be your last…"_ Kakashi sounded tired, more tired than Hinata had ever heard him sound before.

Hinata bit her lip. _"Not like this…"_ Hinata protested. _"This wasn't murder…"_ Kakashi didn't respond.

Hinata tapped her fingers in her lap, her previous dream practically forgotten. _"Do you think it might have been the case he was working on?"_

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. _"He was coordinating efforts that were looking into the disappearance of some NATO officers. Truth was, it wasn't even our most pressing case. It might not even be picked up again. He wanted to take it easy so that he could take more time off to help Kurenai with Mirai…"_ Kakashi's voice cracked at the sound of the baby's name. Hinata got up and softly put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder as the older man pinched his eyes shut with his fingers. Hinata knew that Asuma's death had put a particularly hard strain on the entire division, but even more so with Kakashi, who had always been a close friend of both Asuma and his wife.

After a minute of both of them standing in silence, despite the hubbub of the office around them, Kakashi gently stepped out of Hinata's reach. _"Well…"_ He said. _"I didn't come here to cry on your shoulder."_ He said with the usual gruffness returning to his voice. _"I came to see how you are progressing on the financial case."_

"Oh." Said Hinata taking a step back. _"Everything is…fine. I’m making good headway."_ She reported.

Kakashi gave a strict nod of his head. _"Good. You'll come see me if you need anything, right?"_

 _"Of course."_ Hinata reported duly.

Kakashi nodded his head for a moment, looking a little unsure before he moved to walk off. "Hinata…?" He called, turning around once more.

Hinata looked up toward Kakashi, her pale eyes uncertain and lost. _"Yes?"_

 _"Get some rest. I don't know how Sasuke would handle it if something happened to you too."_ Kakashi said, before turning his back on her once more and walking off.

Hinata's eyes drifted toward her phone as Kakashi's words echoed in her head.

* * *

 

 _George Bush Center for Intelligence_  
Langley, Virginia, United States  
16:30:00

Neji's fingers were drumming almost anxiously upon the glass surface of his desk, his eyes fixed upon the computer screen in front of him bearing the CIA's official seal. If anyone was even mildly acquainted with Neji Hyuuga, then they knew the man well enough to know that he was never an anxious man and that he was _never_ one to drum his fingers anxiously – or at all. The fact that he was doing so now was reason enough for all his co-workers sitting around him to keep casting him anxious, albeit curious glances. Neji blew out a breath and looked around, his eyes calmly analyzing the area around him. Nervous co-workers quickly averted his gaze as his sharp eyes found theirs and told them to mind their own business.

When he had called Tenten from Libya and expressed slight worry about the situation at hand, he shouldn't have been surprised that when he returned home, he found Tenten sitting calmly in their bedroom, in the process of polishing all her knives. Her guns were all neatly spread out on the bay window, having already been cleaned and reassembled. He had chastised her and they both had a good laugh over the situation, but Neji hadn't entire shaken the feeling of unease from within him.

Casting one more glance around the room to make sure no one was looking at him, Neji stopped drumming his fingers and put his fingers to the keyboard, quickly pulling up a search bar. He entered in his password before typing up a single keyword: Andretti.

His search came up blank. Neji frowned. So perhaps it wasn’t Andretti; Naruto had been uncertain after all. He tried a different name – Andre – and wasn’t surprised by the dozens of records that popped up. He decided to limit his search to anything from before the year 2000 and anything that contained Italy as a keyword. This limited his search to only two files, but after a quick scan though, neither were what he was looking for.

He sighed. Maybe he needed to try something different. He pulled up his internet browser and began a search for last names similar to Andretti. Depending on his finds, he could then cross reference those with files in the CIA database and see if anything of interest came up. Among a proliferation of websites about racecar driver Mario Andretti, Neji spotted a last name that looked familiar.

Pulling up the CIA database again, he typed in Andreotti. As soon as he hit enter, his computer started to beep – a warning sign that he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

"Fuck." Neji swore under his breath as he raced to mute the audio on his computer. His computer instantly stopped beeping and he breathed a sigh of relief before his eyes darted out to his surroundings once more. A few co-workers were staring at him, but his icy glare quickly sent them back to doing their own work. Shaking his head, he found a dialog box on his screen, reporting that he didn't have the security clearance to access files concerning Giulio Andreotti.

Giulio Andreotti! Neji recalled the name now; he had been one of Italy’s Prime Ministers who had just recently died. Could that have been who Naruto was talking about? Neji felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Gritting his teeth, Neji pulled up Naruto’s files. Luckily, no warning signs appeared telling him that he was trying to access files that were above his clearance level. They were the same files that Neji had given Naruto a few days ago, as well as his own report of what had happened inside the ITP facility. Neji shook his head. There had to be something more than that.

As he scrolled through Naruto's adoption file for what seemed like the hundredth time, Neji noticed that there was a note attached to the file – something that he hadn't caught on to before. Pursing his lips, Neji clicked to view it and found that it was a reference number. There was nothing else to clue Neji in as to what exactly he would find.

Closing out Naruto's file, Neji quickly typed in the reference number. What he got, however, was another round of what would probably be incessant beeping and sirens from his computer, had he left the sound on for it said once again that he didn't have the clearance to access the files.

Neji closed the box with an angry tap of his finger and sat back. Something was definitely wrong. The question was, how far could he get in figuring it out before it all came crashing down on his head?

Almost as if on cue, a tall, well-dressed man sidled up to Neji's desk, his face rather devoid of emotion. "The Director wants to see you." He said, and at this, his face tinged with sympathy, showing his understanding but knowing he could do nothing.

"Thanks." Neji said bitterly as he slid back his chair and stood up.

CIA Deputy Director Tsunade Senju was a no-nonsense kind of person. As a former Russian KGB officer before the downfall of the Soviet Union, others found the woman quite scary. It didn't help that it was rumored that she could crush a man's skull in her bare hands.

This, however, wasn't an edge that she held over Neji as he calmly strode into her office and stared the blond haired woman straight in the face. Upon seeing him, she rose languidly from her cushioned office chair and quirked an eyebrow at the dark haired man.

"Would you like to explain to me, Hyuuga, why I just got two alerts that a certain _someone_ was trying to access files above and beyond their clearance level?" Tsunade asked, her voice sharp.

Neji clasped his hands behind his back, but his eyes never wavered from hers. "I wasn't aware that they were above my clearance level. Sorry." He added lamely.

Tsunade seemed to find amusement in his response, for she gave out a stark laugh. "Sorry, huh?" She asked. "If only all mistakes could be fixed with a sorry."

An irked expression crossed Neji's face for a second before he quickly wiped it from his face. Tsunade, however had a sharp eye and quickly caught it. "Right, you're a Hyuuga. You don't take sarcasm from others well."

Neji wisely chose not to comment as Tsunade dropped her gaze from him and began sorting through some files on her desk. "Perhaps then, you could explain to me why you took an unauthorized flight to Egypt last week?"

Neji bristled, but once again chose not to respond. He had paid out of pocket for his flight to Egypt before crossing the border into Libya because he hadn’t wanted it on the Company’s dime…but he was loath to tell Tsunade any of that.

Tsunade looked up at him. "No? No comment? If my sources are correct, Naruto Uzumaki is in Benghazi isn't he?" She asked, flipping through papers once more. “Just a hop, skip and a step away from Cairo.”

Neji didn’t even blink. "Yes, ma'am, I believe you are correct."

A smirk crossed Tsunade's face but then it quickly vanished and her face turned serious. "Your perseverance is endearing, but I’m already at my wits end today, Hyuuga. The ITP case is closed. There is nothing else we need to bother ourselves with." She said, looking up at him. “Leave Naruto Uzumaki alone.”

"Then why are the files still locked and classified?" Neji asked, his voice icy. "You know there's something else, something bigger and we're not seeing the big picture. You looked at those files yourself."

Tsunade shook her head. "I saw nothing out of the ordinary. You are going to have to accept that this case is closed, Hyuuga."

Neji had been about to call Tsunade out, to call her a coward for refusing to see what was in front of her face. But he bit his tongue because he knew it wouldn’t be received well and he knew it wasn’t his place. He turned around, intending to leave.

“There comes a time in every agent’s life when paranoia eats at their every move.” Said Tsunade, stopping him in his tracks. “They begin seeing ghosts in the shadows, they start seeing connections when there are none. And after what you’ve been through, I can’t blame you.”

Neji didn’t turn around, but his shoulders tensed. After what he had _been through?_ Tsunade’s words dug through him, unearthing something Neji had buried deep inside himself. Old suspicions arose and with them came the thought that the ITP situation was just one more thing Tsunade wasn’t being straight with him on.

"Is that all ma'am?” Said Neji, turning his head halfway toward Tsunade. “I'll try not to access any other forbidden files today." With that, he turned and stalked out of the room.

* * *

 

_Benghazi, Libya  
17:00:05_

Naruto walked home with his hands in his pockets, his eyes practically glaring at the sidewalk ahead of him. His tie hung loosely around his neck and his sleeves were pushed up to his forearms. Although it was only a short fifteen minute walk from work to home, Naruto could feel the sweat drenching through his shirt, even after spending his entire day inside the cool air conditioned office building. He couldn't wait to get home and jump in the shower…preferably if Sakura would be there to join him, but since it wouldn't be likely, he would be fine with just the shower.

Something was wrong, and Naruto knew it, yet he was no closer to finding out what _it_ was than he had been a week ago when Neji had handed over his adoption files. His father had been _murdered_ , that much was for certain. Cars didn't just mysteriously drive over the edge of the Tiber, especially not when they were famous up and coming politicians, especially not when their sons mysteriously end up in the hands of the ITP.

In the distance, the cities various minarets began blasting the call to prayer. All around him, the religious began to shuffle around, preparing to entreat inside. Naruto ran a hand through his blond hair. Why was his life such a mess? As if it wasn't bad enough that he was forced to become a child assassin, escape, and then proceed with the life of a criminal for practically the past fifteen years of his life. In a way, Naruto supposed that it gave him comfort that it wasn't that his parents didn't love him, or not want him…but then again that fact was dampened severely by the fact that they were probably murdered.

Naruto turned down a garbage trodden alley – a shortcut that he had found his second week of work. As he mulled over the issue with his parents, he thought about Sakura. He hadn't yet told her about Neji's visit, or the file concerning his parents. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her, but he also didn't want to make her worried. Despite Sakura's tough attitude, Naruto knew that the whole ITP issue still bothered her, although she would never let on.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto froze, the back of his neck breaking out into a cold sweat. Mysterious voices calling out to him by full name would do that. Feeling along his belt, he felt the only usable weapon was the stun gun at his side. Great.

"I never thought I would meet the infamous _Kyuubi_ …" The voice continued, the hint of a British accent echoing in Naruto's ears. Naruto could hear the shuffling of feet, signaling that the person was approaching. Naruto braced himself his hand lightly reaching for the stun gun.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto finally asked.

"A man with a proposition." The man said leisurely as he approached.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What kind of proposition?"

The man before him was tall, so much that they stood eye to eye. His eyes were dark, hidden by the shadows of the alleyway. His hands were casually tucked into the pockets of his jeans. "It's a very simple one." The man said, and this time, the British accent was definitely apparent.

He stepped closer to Naruto. "I want you to kill Neji Hyuuga."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Giulio Andreotti was Italy’s 41st Prime Minister.


	6. V. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (but can they keep it? oh no they can't)
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone. Sorry for the long wait.

_Benghazi, Libya  
17:01:49_

The wind shifted suddenly and Naruto was suddenly reminded of the words 'Mexican standoff'. He wasn't sure why – neither he nor the man standing with him were Mexican or even Hispanic - but somehow it seemed very appropriate. If it was a standoff, Naruto would have at least appreciated a gun – one that shot actual bullets and not volts of electricity.

The man seemed to be studying Naruto's expression intently and Naruto took a moment to seize him up in turn. He wasn't a particularly large man so Naruto was fairly confident that they would at least be on even ground if it came to a fight. He had a strong jawline and slightly wavy hair that glinted in the sun. Naruto shifted and the man shifted in return. Standoff indeed.

"It seems as if your decision is already set." Said the man finally. "I can tell by your expression, but let me see if I can persuade you anyway. If you refuse to do it, I'll kill Sakura Haruno."

"You fucking…" Naruto began, his eyes blazing with fury, but then he seemed to catch himself. Naruto wasn't always a rational being, but he realized that keeping a cool head and not giving too much away would help him out in the long run. It was with a grain of salt that he pushed his fury away.

The man quirked an eyebrow in a mocking gesture.

"Why should I believe you?" Asked Naruto. "I don't even know who the hell you are."

The man lifted his lips into a slight grin. "You’re right. How terribly rude of me." He reached into the back pocket of his jeans which set Naruto on edge as he jumped backward and put a hand toward his stun gun.

Eyeing Naruto, the man's dark eyes glittered mysteriously as he held out a hand to show Naruto he meant no harm while his other hand pulled what looked like a bunch of photos from his pocket. Naruto slowly straightened, keeping his eye on the man's hands. The man held the photos out to Naruto which he reluctantly snatched as he pulled his hand away from the stun gun.

Naruto maintained a murderous glare at the man, refusing to look at the pictures. The man quirked an eyebrow, before letting his eyes trail down to the pictures and back to Naruto's face.

Naruto let out a grunt, maintaining eye contact for a minute more before curiosity got the best of him. He reluctantly looked away before quickly flipping through the pictures. As he did so, he could feel his heart race as heat that had nothing to do with the sun outside creep up the back of his neck.

Naruto's hands clenched around the pictures. "What the fuck is this?” He asked, voice low.

"Now you know that I'm serious and you know I have the means to make good on my promise." The man said smoothly, indicating with his head toward the pictures.

"So then what the fuck do you want? Why are you doing this? What the hell did Hyuuga do to make you want him dead?" Naruto demanded.

"I don't have the specifics." The man explained. "And even if I did, I don't know if I would be inclined to give them to you."

"Enlighten me." Naruto said through gritted teeth. "Or the deal is off and I gut you with my bare hands here and now."

The man laughed and his accent only made the sound more annoying. "I would _love_ to see you try, but there isn't enough time. So I will enlighten you. All I know is that Hyuuga pried into something that he shouldn't have. And it isn't the first time, so it's only fair that he pays the consequences."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. It was about those files that Neji gave Naruto? But why would someone want to keep his adoption records a secret? What was the significance of knowing his parents? All Naruto knew that was apparently, Neji was in deep shit and now it was dragging them both down. Naruto didn't want to kill Neji. Although he hadn't known the man for long, he had realized that Neji was the closest thing to a friend that he had. The last thing he wanted to do was kill his only friend.

"How do you want me to do it?" Naruto asked finally.

The man looked surprised for a moment, as if he hadn't been expecting Naruto to accept so easily, but then he smiled lightly. "Anyway you want, just make it look like an accident. You should be good at that."

Naruto smiled at the man before giving him the finger.

"Mature." The man mused. "Here," He said, pulling something from his back pocket and handing it to Naruto. "You fly out in two days."

Naruto took it, finding that it was an airline ticket.

"The airport is a check point." The man explained. "Fail to check in, and Sakura Haruno is dead. Your flight leaves at six in the morning and you'll arrive in Washington D.C by seven at night. Getting to Virginia is your own business. I'll give you until five o'clock the following day to kill Hyuuga."

Naruto didn't respond, his expression surprisingly sober.

"The second it turns 5:01 and I don't get word Hyuuga is dead, I will kill Haruno. Understand?"

"Are we done here?" Naruto asked.

"Do I have your word?" The man asked. "Not that the word of a former thief means much to me."

Naruto chose his words carefully. "You have my word I'll do whatever I can to keep Sakura safe."

* * *

 

_Trastevere , Rome, Italy  
20:26:39_

_"What the fuck are you doing here?"_ Sasuke's voice was annoyed, irritated, and perhaps if one was listening closely; tired and worried. He didn't give his visitor a chance to respond, instead turning around and shuffling his bare feet across the tiled floor as he stalked out of the foyer.

Itachi merely smirked and sidled through the door, a bottle of brandy in his hand and watched as Sasuke stalked off, back into the study where he was working.

_"I was in the neighborhood for a poetry reading and thought I’d stop by. And is that anyway to talk to your_ fratello _?"_ Itachi asked, sliding his shoes off and slipping out of his jacket.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered in response. Itachi had about as much use for a poetry reading as he did for taking polka lessons. Trastevere was a _rione_ known for its young artsy crowd and Itachi was constantly coming up with excuses like that whenever he came to visit. Hinata found it funny; Sasuke found it annoying.

Itachi made his way to the study and found Sasuke sitting on the couch, laptop in his lap with an assortment of different papers scattered around him. A light smile crossed Itachi's face once more, at seeing how diligent a worker his little brother was.

Itachi walked over to an antique cabinet that was sitting near a couple of vast bookcases, each stuffed with books. Itachi's eyes drifted over the titles, noting that they were all different. Some were modern paperbacks while others looked antique with beautiful craftsman like binding. Itachi would have to ask Hinata someday where she had acquired all of her first-editions as he knew for a fact these were all Hinata’s books; not Sasuke’s. Their mother had forced them to read all the classics in their childhood years from classical Italian literature, to the works of Shakespeare and other such classical English writers like Jane Austin and Emily Dickinson to _The Tales of Genji,_ which Mikoto had insisted was important in remembering their heritage. Afterward, Sasuke had practically rejected the written word unless it came in the form of the newspaper or a case report.

Itachi put the bottle of brandy down next to the other bottle of liquor sitting on the cabinet and opened the bottle easily before pouring two glasses. _"_ _Mamma wanted to know why you didn't show up last week for dinner. She was incredibly upset with you."_

_"I was busy."_ Sasuke replied, not looking up from his work.

_"I told her as much."_ Itachi replied smoothly. _"But you know_ _Mamma."_

"Hn." Replied Sasuke. _"So she sent you?"_ Both brothers were well aware of their mother's rather annoying habit of wanting to know every detail of her son's lives.

_"I volunteered."_ Said Itachi, setting the first glass down on the table next to Sasuke before moving over to an armchair by the fireplace. _"I thought you might want to be spared her wrath."_

"Oh." Said Sasuke, briefly looking up. He couldn't bring himself to say thank you.

Itachi, however, seemed to get his brother's drift and nodded his head before looking into the fireplace and taking a sip from his glass. Silence settled between the two, only punctuated by the sound of Sasuke sporadically typing on his keyboard. Although Sasuke and his brother didn't always get along, the silence between them wasn't awkward, but rather comfortable. There were very few individuals in each of the brother's lives were such a comfortable silence could be obtained.

"Hinata?" Itachi finally questioned, breaking the silence between the two.

Sasuke sighed and flicked some hair behind his ear. _"Work."_

Itachi was nothing, if not observant. Many liked to call him a genius, Itachi merely reasoned that he just paid better attention to his surroundings than most, allowing him the ability to make rational judgment calls. It was through his powers of observation that Itachi noticed the tired gleam in Sasuke's eye, the twitch of Sasuke's fingers that implied he was worried when he flicked back his hair, the subtle sense of longing in the younger man's voice.

Sasuke seemed to be worried about Hinata – that much seemed for certain. Hinata was a good person, and Itachi knew that Sasuke deeply cared for her. He had expressed initial distaste toward Hinata when Sasuke informed him that he was dumping his current fiancée for the ex-Hyuuga heiress. Although he had only meet Sakura Haruno briefly – during a trip to New York to visit his brother – she had been kind, almost charming in a school girlish way that made her seem naive. And despite what others, _especially_ women thought of Itachi, he was really a sort of romanticist at heart who believed there was only one woman for one man. At the time, Itachi had accused Sasuke of thinking with his dick instead of his heart, but Itachi had come to realize that Sasuke had made the right choice in choosing Hinata.

They used to be closer – Sasuke used to Itachi's adorable little _fratello_ – but it didn't mean that he couldn't still _read_ him.

_"I heard about Hiruzen Sarutobi's son."_ Said Itachi, pulling the conversation away from Hinata. _"_ Le mie condoglianze più sincere. _"_

Sasuke glanced up from his work. _"You knew Asuma?"_

Itachi nodded and Sasuke held back his customary eye roll. Of course his brother, the prodigal genius of the Uchiha family had been acquainted with the Director's son. Itachi knew _everyone_. _"The media didn't paint his…incident as a pretty picture."_

Sasuke scowled. Damn reporters. He had tried to keep as much of the case under wraps as he could, but of course it was a high profile case, with Asuma being the son of the Director of Interpol's Italian branch. _"It wasn't pretty, but there is no reason for the public to fear either."_ Sasuke said, referring to the media's habit of blowing situations out of proportion, sending the general public into a frenzy.

_"You don't believe it."_ Said Itachi after a beat, a smirk gracing his features.

_"Not in the slightest."_ Sasuke responded.

_"Then…the question you should be asking,"_ Said Itachi standing up, _"Isn't why he did it, but who forced him to do it. Thanks for the brandy, Sasuke."_

Itachi gently set his empty glass down on the table and left the room, as Sasuke sat there, mulling over their cryptic conversation in his mind. It wasn't until Itachi's footsteps drifted away and the front door closed shut that Sasuke realized he was grinning. It was a full blown grin – grins that the youngest Uchiha was not prone to giving, given that he was in his correct state of mind. Others might have said that Sasuke Uchiha simply _did not_ grin – the occasional smirk was the closest you would get.

Yet, there Sasuke sat, laptop in his lap, fire burning in the fireplace, very obviously in his correct state of mind; grinning.

Not why, but _who_.

* * *

 

_Benghazi, Libya  
17:50:55_

He was fanning himself, even though the heat in the room could barely be called stifling. The air was toxic, permeated by the smell of smoke and burning chemicals. Small bits of ash raised into the air, only to harmlessly fall back onto the wooden coffee table, dusting the table black. He was burning up with an indescribable heat – the type that prickled the back of one’s neck, the type that made sweat drip down the back of your shirt, almost as if someone had laid an ice cube there, yet there was no ice.

He was scared, but was he really scared? He was angry, that much was for sure.

He looked down at the burning pile, watching as the fire burned a funny bluish green color as it touched the pictures. Sakura's face, oblivious and innocent was seen briefly, before the fire touched it and it smoldered black, curling away under the flame.

He stopped fanning himself and the couch creaked as he sat up. The fanning device – an airline ticket, was loosely gripped in his hand now. His fingers twitched, almost with indecision and then, after a beat, he slowly, hesitantly brought the ticket to the flame. He stayed there, with his hand poised to burn it, as if that would burn his problems away. Would they turn to ash too, just as the paper of the ticket would?

It was close, so close. The flames were practically licking the paper. But then his rationale seemed to catch up with him and he quickly pulled the ticket away, tossing it on the couch. He couldn't do that. Problems didn't just disappear with the burning of a ticket.

He heard the bathroom door click, the sound of a doorknob turning. The sound of running water had stopped. Eying the discarded ticket, he leaned over, quickly snatching it and rolling it up in his back pocket. He couldn't let her see it; it would only make things worse. He heard the grating of wood on the floor, he heard footsteps.

"Naruto...is there something burning?"

Shit, he forgot about the pictures. Jumping up, his feet clattered on the ground with a bang. He scooped the dish up, with all its burning evidence and ran to the window, quickly pushing it open before dumping its contents out. The flame quickly extinguished in the wind; he hoped nobody had been passing by underneath.

"I don't smell anything."

He wished his problems could fly away like the ash fluttered away in the wind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trastevere is the 13th rione of Rome on the west bank of the Tiber River. It is known for attracting artists, foreign expatriates and celebrities.


End file.
